Back the Other Way Round
by SneaselXRiolu
Summary: No, I didn't steal the story from Zonnenkreeger. Alright? So just stop saying that. Steven Universe belongs to Rebecca Sugar and Cartoon Network. Inspiration from Rewind by: AnimeLoverForever03
1. Gem Glow

**This was inspired by a Steven Universe Fanfiction titled** _ **Rewind**_ **. Check it out if you like this.**

* * *

Steven opened his eyes. _Wasn't I just preparing to fight the Cluster?_ He thought. He felt something heavy on his back and noticed cord wrapped around him. _It couldn't be_ , Steven though as he took the thing off his back. It was the Cookie Cat freezer. He put it back and trudged up to his house. As he opened the door a Centipeetle lunged for him.

He yelled out of surprise as he kept it's acidic, snapping jaws away from him. Pearl's spear went through it causing it to poof. "Sorry Steven, we´ll get these Centipeetles out of your room in a little bit." She said as she speared another Centipeetle. Steven saw one getting into the fridge. He pushed it away right to Garnet´s feet. Garnet cracked her knuckles, which were inside her gaunlets at the time, and poofed it.

"Uh, guys?" Amethyst called "These don't have any gems."

"That must mean there's a mother near by." Garnet said. A Centipeetle began to hiss as it tried to sneak up on her which caused Garnet to punch and poof it.

"We should probably find it before anyone gets hurt." Pearl said as she broke the neck of a gemless Centipeetle.

Steven looked inside the freezer to see it full of Cookie Cats and the glow braclet that he had to give to Connie in the back. "No way! Cookie Cats? I thought they stopped making them!" Steven said to the Gems when they were done fighting.

"Well, we heard that too, so-" Pearl started

"We went out and stole a bunch!" Amethyst cheered earning a growl from Pearl.

"I went back and paid for them." She mumbled.

"It was my idea." Garnet stated

"It was everyone's idea." Amethyst commented

"Not really."

"All that matters is that Steven is happy." Pearl said.

Steven was happy. Happy enough to sing one of his favorite commercial songs. " _Oohhhhh! He's a frozen treat with an all new taste! 'Cause he came to this world from outer space!_ " Steven began to slow down as he remembered the lyrics. " _A refugee of an interstellar war!_ " Steven looked over at the Gems and they looked at each other in recongnition.

Steven knew what they were thinking. He still continued. " _But now he's at your local grocery store. Cookie cat; he's the pet for your tummy. Cookie cat; he's super duper yummy! Cookie cat; he left his family behind! Cookie cat!_ " The Gems applauded his performance of the commercial rap.

He smiled at them before he began to talk about how he was going to save the Cookie Cats. "Right after I eat this one." He commented and began to unwrap it. "I like to eat the ears first." He said and began to eat it. Aww, man. He hadn't eaten one in a long time. His gem began to glow bright.

"Dude your Gem!" Amethyst pointed out. Steven focused, remembering all the times he'd summoned it, and summoned his shield.

"Steven, it's a shield!" Pearl gasped. _Rose's shield_. She thought.

"Wha- Oh cool! I get a shield!" He said trying to act surprised. He put it on his arm.

"That's so cool!" Amethyst exclaimed.

"Yes." Garnet agreed.

Steven put back in his shield and suddenly a HUGE earthquake triggered. The Gems looked outside to see the Centipeetle mother. Steven knew how to handle her. "Steven! Get back inside!" Pearl cried as the Gems summoned their weapons. The Centipeetle knocked them away with her tail and began to spit acid. She cornered them behind a stone hand.

"We could really use Steven's sheild about now!" Amethyst exclaimed. Steven, knowing what was going on in the fight, was getting a bag of Chaaaaaps.

"Hey!" He called to the Centipeetle, causing it to stop spitting acid. "I've got something for you!"

"Steven no!" A worried Pearl called before the Centipeetle attacked with the mandibles on it's tail.

Steven ran to the Centipeetle as he opened the bag. The Centipeetle charged with it's jaws open, only to have Steven meet the upper jaw with his hand. "Wait." He said, causing the Centipeetle to rear up a bit. "Are you going to be a good girl?" He asked. The Centipeetle began to nuzzel Steven and that caused him to give a handful of chips to her. The Centipeetle purred and started to get smaller till it only had about 5 1-foot segments and it's mandibles were about 16 inches long.

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 **I have this headcannon that Centipeetle would have the sounds of a cat, but as easily trained as a dog. So what do you think of this story? Please let me know in the reviews. The longer, the better!(unless you're spamming)**


	2. Laser Light Cannon

Steven and Amethyst were running down to the boardwalk. They just finished a game of "Steven tag," and had gotten hungry. Steven had the idea to get his favorite snack, frybits. Steven ran up to the counter. "Hey Fryman," he greeted, "give me the bits!"

"Steven, we're closed." explained as he flipped the sign to say "Closed."

"Aww, wha?" Steven said defeated. He was about to walk away when Amethyst cut in by hitting the counter.

"Come on dude, give him the bits!" She began to chant, "the bits, the bits,"

Steven smiled as he joined in and began to hit the counter with her. "The BITS! The BITS! The BITS!"

"Alright, alright, take it easy." Mr. Fryman said, not wanting to pay for another destruction to his shop that wasn't his fault. It happened on a weekly basis.

"Yes." Steven and Amethyst said as Steven held his hand up for a high five. Amethyst took it up, before Steven and her began walking back home.

"You know, sunset is one of my favorite times." Steven explained. "How the clouds turn to different colors along with the sea and… wait, what's that?" He asked pointing up to the Red Eye.

"What's that doing here?" Amethyst mumbled. She picked Steven up causing him to lose his fry bits. He saw Pearl and Garnet looking through a telescope and talking to each other, while Centipeetle was running back to the house..

 _Day of the Red Eye_. Steven thought as Amethyst ran closer.

"Garnet! Pearl!" She called.

"We saw. _Some_ of us are trying to protect humanity." She said angry. "Where were you two?"

"We were eating fry bits." Steven explained solemnly. Pearl sighed as she shook her head slowly. "What is this thing anyway?" Steven asked as he began to look. "It looks like a big red eyeball."

"It's a Red Eye." Garnet explained.

"What's so bad about them anyway?"

"They usually orbit planets, but this one has gotten too close and it's going to crash into Beach City and _crush_ us along with dozens of other humans." Pearl informed. "It's up to us to stop it."

"How _do_ we destroy it?" Steven asked, knowing how he'd need to use the Laser Light Cannon.

Garnet adjusted her visor as she began to say, "The only thing that's powerful enough to stop it is a Light Cannon that belonged to Rose Quartz."

Steven looked down. "If Rose were here this would be _so_ easy." Amethyst mourned with an angry tone."

"I know, but she's not, and the cannon is missing-"

"Wait," Steven interrupted, now looking at them. "If my mom had it, I bet my dad knows where it is."

"Greg is… _nice_ ," Pearl said, sugarcoating her true opinion, "but I doubt that Rose would entrust someone like _him_ with such a powerful weapon."

"Your dad is kind of a mess Steven." Amethyst said as she put a hand on Steven's shoulder.

"AMETHYST!" Pearl snapped.

"I'm just sayin', even if she _did_ leave it with him…" Amethyst began to list things off, which Steven tuned out. He couldn't believe how the Gems had treated his dad before the Homeworld Gems came.

"You're wrong. I _know_ he's just keeping it safe." Steven nearly shouted.

"We can handle this Steven." Garnet said as she chucked Amethyst towards the Red Eye.

Steven snorted and ran off to get his dad. When he got to It's a Wash, Steven began to bang on his dad's van's doors. "Dad," he called, "it's me!" He climbed on top of the van and began to jump on it to set off the car alarm. When he did his dad came out.

"Who's there? I have a waffle iron!" Greg yelled, looking for the culprit.

"Dad, it's just me!" Steven lept down as his dad hugged him then pulled him in for a noogie and Steven began to laugh.

"I almost waffled your face." Greg stopped and set Steven down. "What are you doing up so late?"

"What do you mean? The sun went down about an hour ago."

"Oh, sorry, it was a slow day at work. So what's up? Just needed to see your old man, pal around, learn some lessons about life?" He asked.

Steven shook his head. "No, I need the Laser Light Cannon that belonged to mom. We need it cause there's a huge eyeball in the sky and we need to destroy it."

Greg looked over to the beach to see Amethyst flying towards the eye and crashing into it, before slipping off and falling into the ocean. "Wait, is that a magical thing? The Gems told me not to get involved with magic stuff. I-it could be dangerous or interfere with what's left of my hair." He said rubbing his neck.

"But they need mom's cannon." Steven pleaded. "You've gotta at least have an idea of where it is."

"Well, there _is_ one place." Greg said as he and Steven got in the van. Greg drove to a place called U-Stor. "If something's in there that doesn't fit in the van, it'll be in here." He said.

Steven tied a cord around his waist and put a flashlight on his head, secured with a sock. He began to climb through a "rabbit hole," in the clutter. He crawled around for a few minutes. He forgot how messy it was before the Gems cleaned it out for him. He saw a drum, which he just _had_ to hit it, the T-shirt cannon, and saw one of his favorite things. "Dad! I found a box of your old CDs!" Steven called as he put one in his pocket.

"Ah, jeez, I couldn't _give_ those things away. You know, before I ran the car wash, I was a one-man band who traveled the country." Greg explained.

Steven chuckled. "I know dad." It had been forever since he talked with his dad one-on-one like this and he kind of missed it.

"When I came to play a concert here, no one showed up except-"

"A LION!" Steven exclaimed as he wanted to mess with his dad.

"No, it was your mother." Greg said with a laugh.

"I know." Steven said as he went deeper. _Wait_ , Steven thought, _shouldn't I be…_ *crunch* Steven stepped on a photo of his dad and mom. He shivered. He was trying to _avoid_ that from happening again. "Uh, dad. I broke a photo."

"It's alright Steven. If every porkchop were perfect, we wouldn't have hotdogs." He said. Steven saw the cannon begins to glow.

"Dad I found it! You're going to need to bring the van! We've got to get the cannon to the beach!" Steven shouted as he began tying the cord around the cannon. Greg tied the other end of the cord around the bumper of the van and began to drive to try to get it out of the storage unit.

"Kiddo, the cannon looks too big to be put in the van." Greg said.

"We could drag it in that wagon." Steven pointed to an empty, red wagon.

"Good thinking." Greg said as he rubbed Steven's head. The 2 guys picked up the cannon, and somehow made it over to the little red wagon. Using the cord, they tied the handle of the wagon to the bumper of the van. Greg began to drive and the Cannon was dragging behind it.

"Is it going to be okay?" Steven asked his dad.

Greg replied with a shrug. "If every porkchop were perfect-"

"We wouldn't have hot dogs!" Steven chimed in.

Greg looked over at the beach and noticed how huge the eye in the sky had gotten. "It's kind of freaking me out." Greg thought outloud.

"Can't the van go any faster?" Steven anxiously asked.

"This _is_ faster."

"I got an idea. How about we pass the time with one of your songs?"

"What? Really? Come on, you've heard it before." Greg said. The song was one of his earlier works for Rose and he was a bit embarrassed by it.

"You come on." Steven said as he put this disc in. Steven bobbed his head to the beat of the music as Greg drove closer to the beach. Once they were there, they began to bring out the Cannon from the wagon.

"We're SAVED!" Amethyst called excitedly. More stuff was being brought towards the Red Eye due to it's gravity.

Garnet looked to Beach City, then back to the Gems. "We have to use it now." She said.

"I don't know how it works, it was Rose's!" Pearl exclaimed.

Steven went to the cannon and whispered his family motto. "If every porkchop were perfect, we wouldn't have hotdogs." The cannon revealed its true form and began to glow. Steven began to try to lift it up, and the Gems helped the struggling boy.

"This is it!" Amethyst said mainly to herself.

"BRACE YOURSELVES!" Garnet yelled. The cannon shot creating the light show of destruction as Steven liked to think about it. Still it was a gorgeous sight to see and Steven nearly teared up as he saw the silhouette of his mother. The Red Eye exploded and hit parts of the Beach and the board walk.

"Steven, you just saved _most_ of Beach City." Amethyst congratulated.

"Sorry about that!" Steven yelled his apology.

"How did you get that to work?" Pearl inquired.

"I just said 'The Universe motto.'"

"'The Universe motto?'"

"You know, the thing dad always says."

"The thing about pork rinds?"

"Hotdogs." Garnet tried to correct.

* * *

 **That was chapter 2 of this story, which this story and I might last for about a few more days due** _ **someone**_ **thinking that I stole their work. So, yeah. Just though I'd let you guys know.**


	3. Cheeseburger Backpack

**Droxy: Hola. Welcome to Back the Other Way Round. SXR can't be here right now. She's, uh, on vacation and won't be back for a while. So Citrine, Kathleen, and I have taken over her fanfics until she, um, returns. I'm Bold format.**

 **Kathleen: I type in underlined format.**

 _ **Citrine: That leaves me with italics**_ **.**

* * *

Steven was waiting excitedly outside next to his mailbox. "Hey postman, bring me a post," he sang, "bring me the post that I love the most." He knew exactly what was coming in the mail. He saw Jamie walking around the bend of the cliffs. "Hi Jamie!" Steven greeted.

"Oh, hello." Jamie thought it was a bit weird that this kid who he never met knew his name until he remembered his name was sewn onto a "badge" that all "newbies" had to wear as told from his boss Barb.

* * *

( **Barb is not his boss.** ) (Don't write notes in the fanfiction!) ( _You're doing it now you hypocrite!_ ) (That's it, I'm taking over!)

* * *

"Do you have a package for me today?" Steven asked.

"Let me see what I've got here." Jamie explained. "Did you order a loaf of bread with a stamp on it?" He asked holding the package up.

"No. It's me Steven."

"Oh, Greg Universe's son. I got something right here." Jamie brought out the package with the "Wacky Sacks Supply Company" seal on it.

"Man, this thing is going to help me save the world better than ever." Steven thought outloud.

"Really?" Jamie asked wondering why a kid by the age of 14 is thinking of saving the entire world.

"Well, the Gems say I can't go on missions because I can't use my Gem powers," _Even though I know how to use them. But they don't know that._

"That seems reasonable." Jamie interrupted.

Steven ignored it as he continued to explain. "But there's other ways I can help."

"With a Wacky Sack?"

"Yeah!"

"Well, do you know what you could do to save my world?" Jamie asked Steven.

* * *

( _I'm sorry this is getting too weird for me_ ) ( **Alright, we're going to TRY to stop putting notes in the fanfic.** )

* * *

He brought out a signaturepad. "Sign here please" he requested. While Steven began to write it, Jamie explained how Barb would yell at him when he didn't get signatures.

"That's awful." A blue light illuminated through Steven's house and onto the beach even though it was a very bright day. "The Gems are back!" Steven cheered and took his package from Jamie.

Jamie called asking what _exactly_ his package was, but Steven was too excited. This was his first screw up… and he could _fix_ it! He swung open the door to have Centipeetle come up to him. He saw the Gems were covered in feathers.

Garnet caught sight of the boy. "Hello Steven." She greeted trying to ignore Pearl and Amethyst.

Amethyst started listing off things that were made from eggs to which Pearl gave her a weird look as she walked over to Steven. "We fought a giant bird." She explained. "We're only here for a moment. We have to head back out."

Steven remembered, but still asked why. Pearl showed the Moon Goddess statue and began to explain how the Sea Spire was great in it's heyday. _Then, why make it a test?_ Steven thought. _Unless, no sh-she wouldn't. The Pearl I know w-wouldn't lie to me_.

 _But she's not the Pearl you know._ A feminine voice said to Steven's thoughts.

 _N-no, she is,_ Steven insisted, _it's just, she doesn't know what's going to happen._ Steven looked to the end of Pearl's hologram and tuned back in.

"It's abandoned now, but we can still save it with this statue!"

"That's perfect!" Steven said trying to remember what was useful on the trip to the spire. There was the sweaters, the raft, the statue though was top priority so he would put it in alone in a pocket. He was mentally sorting everything as he opened the box up.

"What? Why?" Pearl inquired.

"Because I can help carry it with this." Steven said as he casually brought the Cheeseburger Backpack-

* * *

( _ **Roll credits!**_ ) (Looks like we couldn't stop ourselves)

* * *

-out of the box and slipped it on.

"A hamburger?" Pearl asked.

"It's actually a novelty backpack, but it's extremely useful. And what's better than something useful on an important Gem mission."

"Yes it is important-

 _She's lying to you. I thought Pearl didn't do that._ The feminine voice returned.

 _W-well if she told me it was all a test, I probably would've been too nervous._ Steven tried to reason.

"Oh, uh, wait. I'm a Gem too." Steven lifted his shirt to reveal the Rose Quartz Gem.

"Yes, but you've got a lot to learn."

"So let him come." Amethyst butted in, waving her hands. "It'll be educational."

It didn't take too long for Pearl to agree. "Hmm, alright. You may carry it in your hamburger."

"Woah wait. We might need extra supplies." Steven commented as he put the statue in the cheese pocket. Without the Gems giving him the okay, he ran quickly to grab the bagel sandwiches, an inflatable raft, 2 sweaters and put them into the tomato pocket.

"That was quick." Pearl said as she stepped on the warp pad.

"Let's warp." Garnet declared.

* * *

( **No, Garnet is NOT allowed to declare things. It makes her more cartoony** ) (I'll bring up the definition for it.)

* * *

Inside the warp stream, Steven wasn't his "normal self." He didn't mess around like all of the Gems predicted he would. He just stood there waiting to come to the ground. Pearl shot Garnet a worried look but Garnet acted the same as Steven. The thought came to Pearl that Steven was just imitating Garnet.

"So _this_ is the Sea Spire." He said when they got there. Steven said ready to try his test all over again.

The Gems sighed as a chunk of the Spire fell into the whirlpool below.

"Oh, it wasn't like this a hundred years ago." Pearl groaned

* * *

( _Well duh!_ ) (All logic points to erosion)

* * *

"I'm sensing structural instability." Garnet said as she adjusted her glasses.

"Oh yeah. That's never good." Steven agreed unaware about the cracks forming under him.

"Steven!" Pearl screeched as she tackled Steven to get him away from the unstable ground. She held him close to her body. "Alright. We're taking Steven back." Even if this was a test, she thought the Spire would be too dangerous a mission despite it not being as important to the Gems as they made it out to be.

"Wha?" Steven wriggled out of Pearl's grasp. "I-I can do this. I have ideas. Please Pearl let me do this!" He pleaded.

"Alright. If you want to help your heritage." Pearl stifled her emotions that were telling her to cry tears of joy. "But promise us you'll take this seriously."

"You got it." Steven said sticking his tongue out.

"Yesssnnn…" Pearl seethed out.

"Enough. Let's get moving." Garnet commanded.

* * *

( **That's better.** )

* * *

The Gems began to run up to where the bridge was only to find a small gap. Garnet stopped cold causing the others to stop behind her. "What's the holdup?" Amethyst complained as she looked at the gap. She, like Steven, had never been to the Sea Spire. "We can clear this easily."

"No. The magic that sustains the whirlpool creates a vortex that will surely pull us down into the water below." To demonstrate she threw a rock above it. It stopped in the middle of it's tracks before getting sucked down.

"So we can't jump?" Pearl asked.

Steven snapped his fingers as he rummaged through the tomato pocket. He pulled the sweaters out and began tying them together. "What are you doing?" Amethyst asked.

"These were meant to keep warm, but check it out!" Steven said as he held one of the other arms of the sweater. He wrapped it around a small rhombus shaped hole and grabbed the other end of the other sweater. He then swung to try to make it to the larger "doorway."

He began to feel himself get heavier and dragged down. The Gems called his name giving Steven strength.

* * *

( _ **Really?**_ )

* * *

He yelled what his backpack was based off of and pulled himself up whilst running up the side of the Spire. He made it to the doorway unharmed but breathed heavily from what he'd experienced. He hated that feeling, not to mention what could've happened if he failed that challenge. "Steven!" He heard Amethyst.

He turned to see Amethyst grab the others and swing similarly to Steven while yelling "Steven style!"

Pearl gave a simi relieved smile before it changed to panic mode as she cried "Don't ever do that again!"

"Sorry." Steven apologized as Garnet ruffled his hair and Amethyst bumped passed him.

"But it was pretty great." She told him earnestly. The Gems began to walk through and Pearl looked around, mourning how everything was bad. "Oh, and this had a head… Oh, Steven," Steven paused and looked over to Pearl, who was staring at a statue with three fourths of a head. "Once the statue's in place, it'll restore all of this to its former glory-" a crystal shrimp spooked Pearl by crawling on the statue, causing her to slice the statue so it fell out of the window.

"You guys, we got a problem!" Amethyst called. Pearl and Steven ran upstairs to see the 2 others- and an infestation of Crystal Shrimp.

"We're going have to get through if we're ever going to get to the top." She began to project the others as Steven reached into his backpack for the sandwiches. He threw 2 in opposite directions, which caused the shrimp to begin to gather to eat them.

"Brilliant." Garnet commented as she and Amethyst began to walk ahead.

"Uh, how did you know that would work?" Pearl asked as her holograms disappear.

"Well, if _I_ were a shrimp, that's what I would do." Steven reasoned.

"You _are_ a shrimp." Amethyst called back and the started to follow Garnet again. Steven began to climb up the stairs as well.

"I just want everyone to know:" Pearl began, "my plan would have also worked."

They ran to a corridor that was going to lead them straight to the stairs to the top, all they had to do was cross a trench, Garnet stopped the team as she told them to watch out. The left wall crumbled releasing water with chunks of debri in it.

"What are we gonna do?" Amethyst asked. All Gems eyes drew to the youngest member.

"Hm?" Steven questioned.

"What have you got?" Garnet inquired.

"Cheeseburger backpack! Cheeseburger backpack!" Amethyst began to chant before pleading Pearl to join her to which Pearl caved in easily and joined the chanting.

Steven brought out an inflatable raft, earning a praise from Pearl on how sesible that was. He threw it into the water, only for it to be dragged by the current, to which he face palmed because of it. Garnet however didn't wallow in self-pity and knocked over a pillar to form a bridge. She looked back to Steven. "Good idea anyway." She commented

"Yeah, but they can't all be winners." Amethyst agreed as she began to walk across the make-shift bridge with Garnet, Pearl, and slowly Steven in that order. The climbed up the winding stairs with Steven checking the cheese pocket for the statue. Sure enough it was still there.

He heard Pearl call his name so he ran up the steps to see the moon nearly in position. He took the statue to the pedistal and soon enough the light connected to the statue and soon the Spire began to gain a blue glow. Pieces that fell into the ocean were coming back and reattaching themselves. Steven marveled at the sight while the Gems looked at each other with knowing glances.

He was ready.

* * *

"Steven, we're home!" Pearl called through the empty house. The Gems went on a "mission" to the Kindergarten to get more supplies for the drill to the center of the Earth. "Steven?" Pearl asked.

"Yo dude, come out!" Amethyst yelled.

Peridot was shifting looks throughout the house. _The Steven wouldn't have left without his gaurdians correct?_ She thought.

* * *

 _ **Citrine: Oh sure, yeah. Peridot definitely thinks like that.**_

 **Droxy: She IS a bit flanderized.**

 **Kathleen: Well, I'm writing.**

 **Droxy: Not anymore. We're supposed to work as a TEAM. "Teams don't fight each other' -Steven Quartz Universe**

 **Kathleen: What about the X-Men?**

 **Droxy: Uh**

 _ **Citrine: Or the Avengers?**_

 **Droxy: We work like Gems, that means we TRY to get along!** **So, how confused do you think the readers are?**

 **Kathleen: Probably VERY.**

 _ **Citrine: I can't wait until SXR is cured.**_

 **Droxy: Citrine! *sweating nervously* You mean back from vacation right?**

 _ **Citrine: Right, right.**_

 **Droxy: Also, the backspace button is broken and we're writing this via microphone. Sorry.**


End file.
